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William C. Rogers, attorney and World War II veteran, dies

Baltimore Sun (MD)

Oct. 08--William C. "Bill" Rogers Jr., a World War II veteran, retired attorney and past president of a title insurance underwriting firm, died of heart failure Oct. 4 at the Glen Meadows Retirement Community in Glen Arm. The former Homeland resident was 92.

Born in Baltimore and raised in Ten Hills, he was the son of William C. Rogers Sr., an attorney, and his wife, Anna Marie Quigley.

While a student at Calvert Hall College High School, he joined the Army Air Force. Family members said he lied about his age to qualify -- he was 16 at the time.

He served in the European and Mediterranean theaters in the 8th Air Force, 40th Bomb Wing, 7th Photo Reconnaissance Group. He operated a 50-caliber machine gun from his position as a B-17 right waist gunner.

After the war ended he was assigned to photograph the Nuremberg War Trials in Germany. He left military service as a sergeant.

He obtained a degree at Loyola University Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law. He was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1950.

Mr. Rogers served as a Baltimore City assistant state's attorney in the early 1950s, and in 1952 became a founding member of Security Title Guarantee Corp. of Baltimore. He worked at the firm, located on South Calvert Street, for more than 65 years.

He was a partner at the law firm of Rogers, Moore and Rogers and served on the board and as general counsel of Augusta Building and Loan Association, Fraternity Federal Savings and Loan Association, Vermont Federal Savings and Loan Association and the Carrollton Bank.

He was also a past president of the Maryland Mortgage Co. and the American College of Mortgage Attorneys.

Family members said he had been a summer resident of Sherwood Forest in Anne Arundel County, and worked to update many of the community's documents while serving as its general counsel. He also drafted documents for a pioneering condominium community in Maryland, Bay Vista Condominium in Ocean City.

Mr. Rogers was a member and past president of the board of Moreland Memorial Park Cemetery in Parkville. He also belonged to the American, Maryland State and Baltimore City bar associations, the Baltimore Country Club; the Gibson Island Club and The Center Club.

He was a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society, and served as its national president for a decade. He rode in the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans as a member of the Krewe of Babylon for more than 20 years.

He was also a founder of the Baltimore chapter of Legatus, an organization for Roman Catholic business people.

"My father tended to charm people right away," said his daughter, Helen Frances Rogers of Bel Air. "People warmed to him immediately and he made a lot of friends.

"They recognized him by the bow ties he wore," she added.

Mr. Rogers was an usher at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen and belonged to the Knights of Columbus.

He was a past trustee of the McDonogh School and the city's Fire and Police Retirement Fund. He was past chairman of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Baltimore and the Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Fund.

He was also a past president of the American Israel Society.

A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Ursula Roman Catholic Church, 8801 Harford Road. Visitations will be held 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Johnson-Fosbrink Funeral Home, 8521 Loch Raven Boulevard.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include two sons, W. Charles Rogers III of Ruxton and Theodore C. "Ted" Rogers of Sherwood Forest; two other daughters, Theresa M. Rogers of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denise R. Sanders of Bel Air, a photo technician and video editor for The Baltimore Sun; a brother, John Paul Rogers of Captain's Cove, Va.; a sister, Anne C. Mayne of Towson; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. His wife of 64 years, Helen Lears, died in 2015. A granddaughter, Leigh Rogers, died in 2017.